There is a simple phrase, with many variations, that we’ve all heard many times: “Like banging your head against a wall.” It is a raw and illustrative description of frustration, and of the sheer futility of so much of life.
Harvey Loves Harvey created “Bang Head Here” out of that frustration. The piece is deceptively simple: a white wall, marked with a black circle labeled ‘bang head here.’ The wall, within the bounds of the circle, has been pounded inward, revealing the supports behind. Mounted next to the circle is a small television, displaying a video loop of Jason Dean in front of the same wall, obeying the instructions.
This piece is brutal to watch, like a train-wreck in slow-motion. One walks away wondering why someone would follow such obviously ridiculous instructions, and yet aware that so much of life is quite similar to the experience of banging one’s head against a wall. Perhaps there should even be dedicated walls out in the world, marked ‘bang head here’ for moments when the need arises.